Games in the Dark

Night time games, well more specifically games played in the dark, can be incredibly fun.  Our first family night game started when the kids were really young, maybe 2 and 3 years old.  Durng this time of year, when it gets dark in the early evening hours, AH would take the kids upstairs, turn off all the lights, and then hide from the them.  He'd give them a signal to come find him and they'd work together to seek him out... in the dark.... with no flashlights.  Occasionally AH would tap on a wall or piece of furniture near him to help guide the kids in the right direction, and then once they were close he's jump out at them and roar loudly.  Of course this scared the kids, but in a good way.  They'd scream and laugh and ask him to "do it again".  We call this game "Lion" and they still beg him to play, though now they take turns being the "lion". 

I remember taking Beeb in for her annual well-check with the pediatrician when she was about 3.  One of the milestone measurement questions he asked was "Is she afraid of the dark?" to which I replied, "Not at all.  She loves the dark." and then explained our Lion game.  Both kids are still fearless that way (though they do cower a bit more now in anticipation of AH jumping out at them).

Tonight we were introduced to a fun game night game - Glow Stick Soccer.  We met some of our friends at a local park.  Each of us brought glow stick bracelets (4 per person/per family).  We divided the bracelets up into colors and assigned two colors to each team.  My team was blue and pink, the opposing team was yellow and orange, and the remaining green sticks were used to outline the goal posts.  Glow sticks were placed on wrists and woven into shoe laces for easy team identification.  Our friends who arranged the game brought a light-up soccer ball that was easy to see. 

Everyone had a really great time with lots of laughter.  Initially some of the adults played a little too aggressively for the smaller kids on the field, but quickly toned it down and everyone cheered on everyone.  We had a couple of expected collisions but nobody was hurt and no hard feelings were felt.  A time limit of one hour was enforced (so we could all get home, shower, and get a good nights rest before church on Sunday) and we ended the game with hot cocoa for everyone because it was a chilly 30 degrees outside on a stunning cloudless night (you could see so many stars - another bonus).

I highly recommend Glow Stick Soccer for any fun family, friend, or party gathering.  Make sure you have an adequate number of glow sticks, a light up soccer ball, and a very dark field (no street lights, etc.).